1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of archery bows and, more specifically, to grip assemblies for bows and bows with reduced brace heights.
2. Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,966,124 discloses my invention of a torque free grip assembly for archery bows. Briefly, this patent discloses a riser grip assembly which pivots freely so that an archer is prevented from applying torque to the bow through the riser, thereby eliminating a source of error which would otherwise arise during release. Other disclosures of pivoting or rotating grip assemblies are contained in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,397,685, 3,407,799, 3,538,902 and 3,599,621.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,457,287 discloses an archery bow with a forward mounted, universally mounted handle assembly. When the bow is at rest, the handle is held tightly against universal movement and, when the bow is drawn, the handle is freed for limited universal movement. The bow incorporating the handle assembly has an extraordinarily long brace height. The applicant's understanding of the forces which react in the bow according to the disclosure of this patent is represented in FIG. 6 which is labelled prior art. The handle H is mountable on a handle frame supported on the bow B and the position of the handle H can be adjusted, left or right, relative to the frame as suggested by the small rectangles shown in dotted lines on either side of the handle H shown in FIG. 6. When a draw force F1 is applied to the bow B, the handle frame and the handle are freed for limited universal pivoting movement relative to the riser and the reactive force F2 applied through the universal joint UJ will center the handle H and cause it to align with the center plane of the bow B. Accordingly, it is believed that, regardless of whether the handle is mounted in the middle of the handle frame or on one of the sides of the handle frame, the amount of arm clearance when the bow is drawn, will be the same.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,061,125 discloses a device for positioning a bowstring in a preloaded condition.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,343,286 discloses an archery bow with a combination hand grip and forearm brace which is mounted for pivotable movement about a point in the center plane of the bow. The hand grip is adjustable in that it can be positioned in various positions relative to the brace for a desired draw length.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,787,361 discloses an archery bow with a pivoted handgrip and forearm protector. The handgrip and forearm protector are secured to the bow through a pivot which is positioned in the center plane of the bow and the handgrip extends laterally from the riser.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,957,093 discloses compound bow with a pistol grip. The pistol grip handle acts on the riser through pivot points. The position of the pistol grip is adjustable to suit various archers.
In bowhunting, the speed of an arrow is a critical factor, which, along with accuracy, plays a major role in determining whether the bowhunter will be successful or not. Compound bows, generally, have made a terrific contribution to arrow speed (and accuracy) by increasing the stored energy of bows having a given peak draw force. Upon release, the full weight of the bow is brought to bear upon the arrow and, typically, this weight is much greater than that which an archer could otherwise hold comfortably during aiming.
In an effort to achieve increased arrow speed, manufacturers have decreased the brace height, gradually. Although increases in arrow speed have been achieved through incremental shortening of the brace height, i.e., the distance between the string and the low or pivot point of the bow handle where it is braced in an archers hand, there is a natural limit to minimum brace height in conventional bows and this limit is imposed by the need for a certain amount of arm clearance. Typical brace heights of nine inches have been reduced, over the last ten or twenty years, to something like seven inches. As the brace height decreases, the length of the power stroke increases. The arrow is acted upon over a longer distance and, for a given weight bow, a longer power stroke can mean a faster arrow speed. A limiting factor in this trend has been the need to provide clearance between the string and the arm which is used to hold the bow. That is, upon release of a drawn bow, there must be enough clearance so that the string will not strike and injure the arm which is supporting the bow. A seven inch brace height is regarded as the minimum brace height for providing sufficient arm clearance.
In the field of archery and especially bowhunting, there remains a need for a bow which is capable of imparting higher speed to an arrow upon release, without sacrificing accuracy and arm clearance.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a bow and grip assembly with a substantially reduced (by comparison with prior art bows) brace height and a correspondingly longer power stroke.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a bow which will impart greater velocity to an arrow upon release, than prior art bows.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a bow in which torque applied to the handle during drawing will not be transmitted to the riser.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a bow with plenty of arm clearance.